Process and apparatus for purifying air vitiated with mercury vapors



Patented Dec. 1 1, 1934 PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING AIR VITIATEDWITH MERCURY VAPORS Alfred Stock, Karlsruhe, Germany, assignor to DegeaAktiengesellschaft (Auergcsellschaft), Berlin, Germany, a corporation ofGermany No Drawing. Application June 2'7, 1932, Serial No. 619,518. InGermany June 30, 1931 5 Claims.

It is well-known that the slightest quantities of mercury vaporcontained in the air, will be sufficient to cause heavy and chronicillness. For instance, open mercury surfaces exposed in closed 5 rooms,as such are always present in "scientifical and technical laboratories,willconstitute a great danger to persons compelled to work in suchrooms, since the mercury will setfree comparatively great quantities of.vapor into the atmosphere even at normal temperatures. The danger isstill enhanced, if heated mercuryor mercury vapors are concerned, whichlatteras is wellknown-are utilized of late for the operation of hardlybe possible to remove it in most instances.

I This danger is the severest, since in most cases the source of dangeris unknown to those working in such locality.

The present invention has for its object to purify air vitiated mercuryvapors and to render them harmless to breathing. It has already beensuggested to employ active carbon as a means of protection against theeffects of mercury vapors, and it was further recommended to usecotton-wool coated with colloidal gold as a vprotective.

According to the invention it was found that in the process of purifyingair vitiated with mercury, vapors, adsorption agents which areimpregnated with a halogen will constitute a protective agent which isincomparably. superior to any of the above mentioned protectives.Forinstance, active carbon impregnated with iodine will surpass theprotective action of non-impregnated actlve carbon about ten times. Thesubstances having large superficialarea will adsorb the mercury vaporsand the adsorbed mercury is fixedly bound inthe form of mercuryhalogenid within for distribution to form a film or cover over openmercury surfaces, as such are unavoidable in scientific and technicallaboratories. Through a layer of a protective agent of the characterindicated above, having a thickness of one centimetre, only such tracesof mercury will pass, which come near the lowest limit of demonstrability, when using the most modern analyzing. 'methods to detect thepresence of such slightest traces of mercury vapor. Besides, the cracksor fissures in the floor-boards may be filled with the protective agent,so that even in this instance the danger of becoming poisoned throughconcealed little drops of mercury is prevented. Instead of activecarbon, I may employ silica gel or metal gels as the adsorptionagent'impregnated with a halogen.

According to another example of carrying out my improved process, aprotective agent of the character set forth above would be used as afiller for filters of breathing apparatus, and when air vitiated withmercury vapors is breathed through such an apparatus, it would bepurified effectively so as to avoid the deleterious effects of suchvapors.

I claim:

1. The process of purifying air vitiated with mercury vapors, whichconsists in removing said vapors by means of an adsorption agentimpregnated with a halogen.

2. The process of purifying air vitiated with mercury vapors, whichconsists in removing said vapors by means of active carbon impregnatedwith a halogen.

3. The process of purifying air vitiated with mercury vapors, whichconsists in removing said vapors by means of silica gel impregnated witha halogen.

4. The process of purifying air vitiated with mercury vapors, whichconsists in removing said vapors by means of a metal gel impregnatedwith a halogen.

5. A breathing apparatus for use in air vitiated with mercury vapors,having a filter filled with a purifying substance consisting of anadsorption agent having a large superficial area and impregnated with ahalogen.

ALFRED STOCK.

